Celebrating My New Facebook Page

This is your chance to win this original 5 x 7 watercolor painting I made! All you have to do is visit my page Cynthia Crane's Art and "Like" this photo - you don’t even need to leave a comment to participate, but it would be wonderful if you did! I'll put your names in a hat and announce the winner on Saturday morning. Have a beautiful day friends!

The Colors of Summer - Blue and White

This is the fourth and last post in my Colors of Summer series. From Left to Right beginning at the top left corner they are lavender 'Fat Spike', zinnia, bachelor button 'Mountain Bluet', Blue Atlas cedar, Kentucky mint, sedum 'Blue Spruce', salvia 'Blue Hill', culinary sage, Liliput zinnia, clematis paniculata 'Sweet Autumn", Rose of Sharon, Blue Spruce 'Montgomery', catmint 'Walker's Low', Vanhoutte spirea, garlic chives, juniper 'Moonglow' and peppermint. I was surprised by the amount of blue I actually have in my gardens. Of course, blue flowers are somewhat rare, but I think particularly lovely. My photograph for example does not nearly do justice to the bachelor's button 'Mountain Bluet', which by the way has bloomed a bit here and there all summer. My favorite blue perennial would have to be the catmint. It has performed beautifully this entire summer despite the heat and drought conditions.

The Colors of Summer - Red and Orange

Today's colors reflect the extreme weather we've been having here in Zone 7 this summer - HOT! HOT! HOT! Happily we are now getting a welcome respite from the heat and it will be a joy to work in my gardens today. This is the third in my series the Colors of Summer and the focus is on the colors red and orange. From Left to Right beginning at the top left corner they are Better Boy tomato, Giant zinna, sweet bell pepper, San Marzono tomato, Liliput zinnia, Aussie beefsteak tomato, jalapeno peppers, Cherokee Purple tomato and Mexican sunflower. By the way, that Aussie beefsteak plant has produced the biggest tomatoes I've ever seen in my life! They have typically measured at least 5 in across, sometimes more, and make great tomato sandwiches! The San Marzono were disappointing. They are supposed to be the very best Italian-type tomato, but they are heirloom plants and they did not perform well at all for me. The heat we've had and the spider mites didn't help either.

The Colors of Summer - Green and Gold

This is the second post in my Colors of Summer series. I thought it would be nice to showcase the lovely green and golden hues that are growing and glowing in my gardens right now. From Left to Right beginning at the top left corner they are zinnia, hosta, zinnia, sea oats, ivy 'Gold Child', water lettuce, euonymus 'Emerald and Gold', Rudbeckia 'Prairie Sun', sweet potato vine, Serviceberry Tree leaves, baby summer squash, yellow bell pepper, garden basil, tomato 'Green Zebra', variegated sage, Carolina jasmine 'Fiona Sunrise and lemon thyme.

FOREST CRITTERS

Many of these original painting are now up for sale at my Etsy store: Cynthia Crane's Art. Be sure to insert your email in the box over on the right if you'd like to receive notifications when more work is available. Or feel free contact me (LINK AT RIGHT) for a special commissioned painting of your favorite animal or pet.

The Colors of Summer - Purple

While working in my gardens this morning I was inspired by all the beautiful colors and I am compelled to share some of them with you today. From Left to Right starting at the top corner these are: purple sage, petunia, beautyberry shrub, verbena, purple basil, Mexican verbena, butterfly bush, eggplant, alyssum and Chinese eggplant. This is the first post in a new series I've created - Colors of Summer.